Babcock University Inducts 20 New Doctors, MDCN Warns Against Social Media Misuse

Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, at the weekend inducted 20 newly qualified medical doctors of the Orion 11 class, reaffirming the institution's commitment to strengthening Nigeria's healthcare workforce amid a well-documented shortage of medical personnel across the country.

The doctors were formally inducted at a special mop-up ceremony held at the 600-seater auditorium of the university's Benjamin Carson Sr. College of Health and Medical Sciences, an event that brought together representatives of Nigeria's medical regulatory body, senior faculty, and family members of the graduating doctors.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Prof. Fatima Kyari, represented by the Head of Registration Department and Assistant Registrar of the Council, Dr Tijjani Ali Mandaka, described the induction as a defining moment in the professional lives of the newly qualified doctors. He urged the inductees to practise with empathy, humility, and respect for other healthcare professionals, stressing that effective medical practice depends fundamentally on teamwork rather than individual effort alone.

Mandaka also used the occasion to issue practical guidance on a matter with direct professional consequences for the new doctors: securing housemanship placements. He advised the inductees to use their provisional registration certificates to secure housemanship placements within the mandatory two-year window, warning that failure to do so within that period could require them to sit for a reassessment examination before being allowed to proceed. Housemanship, a supervised, hands-on clinical training period required of newly qualified doctors in Nigeria before full registration, remains a critical, though often logistically difficult, step in the country's medical training pipeline, with many young doctors historically facing delays in securing placements due to limited slots at accredited teaching hospitals.

Beyond professional and regulatory guidance, Mandaka cautioned the new doctors against careless use of social media, an increasingly common area of concern for medical regulators globally, given the potential for online conduct to affect a young doctor's professional reputation or breach patient confidentiality. He encouraged the inductees to seek guidance from senior colleagues whenever faced with uncertainty in their practice, reaffirming the MDCN's broader support for institutions like Babcock University that are working to expand Nigeria's medical training capacity while maintaining professional standards. "Our priority is to ensure that every doctor inducted into the profession is competent, compassionate, and ready to serve Nigeria's healthcare needs," he stated.

Also speaking at the event, Medical Elder Prof. Adeola Adebola Shokunbi urged the inductees to make compassion and honesty the hallmarks of their practice throughout their careers. She encouraged them to embrace continuous medical education, maintain healthy personal and professional relationships, and resist the temptation to make financial considerations the sole motivation for practising medicine. "A doctor who doesn't read is a dangerous doctor," she cautioned, underscoring the importance of lifelong learning within a profession where medical knowledge and best practice continue to evolve.

The President and Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Prof. Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole, congratulated the inductees and their families, urging the new doctors to prioritise quality patient care above all else. "No patient will ask about your graduation date, but about the care you give," he said, framing the induction as the beginning rather than the conclusion of each doctor's professional development.

The Provost of the College, Prof. Adeola Fowotade, described the induction as a covenant with humanity, noting that medicine remains a calling rooted fundamentally in service to others. She encouraged the newly inducted doctors to continue learning, adapt to ongoing changes within the profession, and demonstrate genuine concern for the people they are entrusted to serve throughout their careers.

The Orion 11 induction adds to a growing number of medical graduates entering Nigeria's healthcare workforce, as the Federal Government continues pushing to expand annual medical school admissions nationwide amid the country's ongoing struggle with the emigration of trained doctors and nurses, popularly referred to as "Japa." For Babcock University, one of Nigeria's prominent private tertiary institutions with a dedicated college of health and medical sciences, the induction of another cohort of qualified doctors represents a continued contribution toward addressing that broader national shortage of medical personnel.